Clippers relishing underdog status

Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the rest of the Clippers have heard the grumblings. Since it became clear that the team lost out on home-court advantage, pundits and fans have gravitated to Memphis.

But Paul knows, that doesn't mean much.

“We can't go by who's picking who. It'd be a tough situation if that's how they decided who won the game,” Paul said. “If it went by popular vote, we'd have a tough chance. But that's why we play the game.”

And the doubt that exists outside of the team might be used as a little extra fuel for the guys inside of the locker room.

“People don't expect us to win. We realize that,” Griffin said. “Hopefully, we play with that chip on our shoulder.”

And Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said he doesn't mind that it might be on his players' minds.

“Good,” he said. “Get pissed off, and then play well.”

If only it were that simple.

Public opinion has shifted towards Memphis for some strong, reasons though. The Grizzlies are one of the elite defensive teams in the NBA, they have tremendous offensive balance and, of course, they'll host game seven if things get that far.

“Everybody's dangerous, especially in the playoffs. The season's over so right now, they're the most dangerous team we're worried about,” Paul said. “…They've got a lot of weapons. But we have to worry about what we're doing.

“We're not that bad either.”

For the Grizzlies, their defensive identity starts on the perimeter, where guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen are among the NBA's best pickpockets. All of the Grizzlies have quick, aggressive hands, averaging a NBA-best 9.56 steals a game. Memphis also forced a league-leading 17.12 turnovers a game.

“It'll come down to getting easy baskets in the open court, not turning it over and handling the physical play of the series,” Del Negro said.

The Grizzlies, unlike the Clippers, have proven that they can get the job done in the postseason. Last season, virtually the same Memphis team shocked top-seeded San Antonio in six games, becoming just the second No. 8 seed to win a best-of-seven series over the No. 1 seed.

After dispatching the Spurs, Memphis took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.

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